IS INNOVATION IMPROVING OUR EXPERIENCE OF USING TOOLS? - BY PETER BRETT


me, because I still regularly use the set of Marples fi rmer chisel and the Record Try Plane he left me. Not to mention the odd spokeshave or two and a couple of tenon saws that I can’t sharpen anymore, because my eyes aren’t good enough. But here is the rub – those are the tools that I use in my workshop where it is much easier to care for them properly. Maybe when we look at innovations in hand tools, we need to focus more on the ones dragged from site to site where every day is a diff erent challenge. Innovations and Developments Top of my list for the innovation and integration of their systems of hand tools is undoubtedly Wera.


Just today, I solved a problem by opening up the Bit Check in my cordless driver case and select- ing a socket. This fi tted into an adaptor, which fi tted into the Rapidaptor - that slotted into my cordless driver.


This quickly undid the bolt quicker than it would have taken me to fi nd a pair of pliers or grips to hold the head of the bolt.


I am lucky enough to have a fair number of Wera sets that I use regularly, and I wouldn’t be without them. Wera designers and engineers have also done a lot of the thinking for us, by providing easy to use solutions for carrying and storing tools. They’ve done this by providing cases in the 2Go range that can be removed, added or easily changed to suit the job in hand.


Of course, you could let your new set of colour coded hex keys, Torx keys or sockets fall out of their cases to the bottom of your toolbox, or you could embrace the time and hassle saving opportunities that Wera makes available. Other manufacturers are following suit with similar ideas and systems – particularly with fastening tools. This is one area where trades could take on board the opportunities for a more organised toolbox. The Wiha speedE reviewed in this edition is another example of an innovation using new cordless technology, combined with a simple screwdriver to increase productivity and safety.


Cutting a Swathe


There is also no doubt new materials and techniques, and greater knowledge of their properties, have made higher standards of production of professional quality hand tools possible. A ‘standard’ smoothing plane from major manufacturer like Irwin that costs about £50, would be a completely diff erent animal from a plane from a specialist maker, such as Lie Nielson or Veritas, which costs fi ve times as much. For a start, the plane iron from the latter makers would most likely be a cryogenically treated steel which is very hard as well as tough – it would take a razor edge and keep it longer. The cheaper plane, to get a similar performance, would need to be fettled in a number of ways to get it square, fl at and sharp enough to cut diffi cult timbers with ease.


Having tried all of these categories of planes I would rather pay the cost of the better tool than have the hassle of the fettling. Not only does it save me mountains of time, the tools perform so well that the quality of the work is much better.


T’was Ever Thus?


A conversation with a scythe expert last weekend highlighted a few points for me. Apparently, scything is making a comeback in lawn care. The best TV gardening experts are recommending them, so it must be a good idea. Quieter even than an electric strimmer! Currently, the best scythes available are Austrian made, and based on an Austrian design that is over 150 years old. They have a fi ne balance, can be adjusted to suit users, and have razor sharp blades that hold an edge well. When compared with the fi nest scythes produced in Britain during the Victorian heyday, there is no contest. The Victorian scythes are bulky, diffi cult to sharpen, and clumsy to use. But they were cheap, and therefore used in their thousands. Does this refl ect something of our times too? The point of this story is to once again illustrate that innovation costs money, good tools are usually more expensive than inferior ones, and that design and development can make tool using an easier and more satisfying experience. With the fi erce competition we have in our UK tool market, we should have many satisfi ed users – provided they do the work to fi nd the best tools for their needs.


Gas Safety Week & Gas Safe Register championing registered gas engineers


Gas Safe Register is launching a new competition, open to all Gas Safe registered engineers, to recognise their great work as the nation’s everyday heroes during Gas Safety Week from17- 23 September.


To enter the competition, entrants need to share their everyday hero story about how they have helped make people ‘gas safe’ or nominate someone else.


One example could be: “I once stopped a family from suff ering CO poisoning by unblocking a vent that they had covered up to stop draughts, and educated them


@ToolBUSINESS


on the importance of keeping their vents clear.”


Gas Safe’s favourite stories will be put to an anonymous online vote during Gas Safety Week 2018, and the story with the most votes will win an Anton Sprint eVo3 Kit 3.


The kit includes an IR printer, fl ue probe, cooker probe, fl ueless gas fi re probe, gas leak detector, pressure relief valve, 2x temperature clamps, carry bag and charger - plus Bluetooth communication with the Andorid app, which allows PDF reports to be emailed to customers.


Gas Safety Week aims to raise awareness around the dangers of faulty gas appliances to help protect families from gas leaks, fi res, explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning.


Jonathan Samuel, chief executive of Gas Safe Register said: “We know that so many engineers go above and beyond to help their customers stay gas safe. This Gas Safety Week we are launching a competition to recognise how registered gas engineers are the nation’s everyday heroes.


www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk TBH September, 2018 25


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32